Producer of the week: Old Spike Roastery

5th June 2015

What do you get if you mix freshly roasted coffee beans on the doorstep of Del Boy and Rodney’s stomping ground? With a hot shot of carefully sourced, quality beans from around the world and a generous dusting of social enterprise, the result is a perfect blend (geddit?) of a neighbourhood coffeeshop with a difference.

Founders Richard and Cemal decided start their own coffee company after seeing the growth of local products being made in Peckham, and following a trip Richard took to New York where he soaked up the burgeoning roastery scene. Inspired by a strong belief in social enterprise, they gathered together their savings, took out a bank loan, and setup a 100% not-for-profit company exclusively to help local homeless people.

If you visit 54 Peckham Rye at the weekend – they’re not open on weekdays yet, but are hoping to be soon! – everyone you meet working there will be local and in love with coffee. Lucy, their first employee, can’t speak English but has learnt the roasting ropes and all the nuances of working with speciality coffee. During the week staff are busy roasting away and any surplus cash is reinvested back into the business. Offering mental health support and education through their charity arm Change Please, buying these beans literally means the (social) business.